


You Could Live In This Illusion

by gossy16



Category: Heroes - Fandom
Genre: Gen, cavity-inducing fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-30
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-12-07 00:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/741802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gossy16/pseuds/gossy16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Written August 2007, in between seasons 1 & 2.) My friend gave me the prompt: "Nathan, Claire, game night." I wrote this piece of borderline-sickeningly saccharine fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Could Live In This Illusion

i.

The boys have just turned 2. Nathan deems this all a little ridiculous, but his mother says _you can never instill family values too early_ , and Heidi has been remarking lately how much happier he seems. It's true, he is.

So, he sits at the table and deals out animal cards, laughs lovingly when Monty calls an elephant a giraffe, watches with a feeling he hasn't known before. Everything is new once more - Nathan counts his blessings. (Simon really reminds him of Peter sometimes.) None of this is ridiculous.

The kids ask after their grandfather, but he isn't in his study when Nathan goes looking. What he finds instead is a black and white candid photograph of a blonde girl, who couldn't be much more than ten years old. Next to it, is a picture of Meredith's dead daughter. Nathan isn't sure he wants to imagine what it means, but it doesn't matter: he's not going to remember any of this.

Nathan goes back to the game table, finishes playing, and tucks his boys in bed. 

He's happy.

 

ii.

Claire is 16 before she and Nathan are given a chance to bond. Her boyfriend is dead, and they've both lost Peter. She wants answers he doesn't have, and she really believes his brother is alive somewhere. He wishes she'd just _shut up_ about it. But she flew all night (in an airplane) and he doesn't have the heart to send her home.

When his mother hears of it, she does her best to turn Claire away, but the girl is feisty. Disparaging comments rain down; Nathan seems to take it all in stride, when really he's struggling to find reasons to live, himself. 

Claire keeps saying _it wasn't anybody's fault_.

Heidi has been missing game night for a few weeks now. Nathan suspects she took a lover - couldn't even blame her. The boys insist on playing Scrabble, so that's what the four of them do, until it's far past the kids' bedtime. Claire stays.

On the fifth day, Nathan tells his mother to fuck off, empties countless bottles down the sink and shaves off his beard - Simon's been giggling at him and calling him a "mountain man." 

And Claire believes that Peter is alive somewhere. Won't shut up about it.

 

iii.

It's the last game of the season, and the home team is losing. Nathan has flown down to see it (Claire doesn't know how; doesn't ask). She's about to graduate high school, and he's just _proud_ now. It's a good game. Nathan wonders if the boys'll ever play - Monty's certainly got the legs for it.

But the home team is losing, the weather turns to menacing, and his discreet smirk - not quite secret enough - prompts somebody to ask, "got a kid on the field?"

Nathan looks straight at the guy and nods, "cheerleader." He almost laughs. (Peter should be there, but he's off saving the world again somewhere.) Within minutes, it starts to rain, but Nathan is unbothered. He knows it's only moments until Claire runs up to give him a quick hug, and he'll tell her it's OK, even though she already knows. Can't win every one of 'em.

 

iv.

The boys are only just 2, and Simon really isn't sure about this, but Peter says you can never teach family values too early. When Claire shows up for a visit, she's surprised to see cards being telekinetically dealt behind her brother's back.

"Aren't you concerned they'll start asking questions?" she prods.

But he just waves her off and smiles, "Are you kidding? Dad flies down for game night all the time."

Peter materializes then - Simon's kids squeal and clap (this is clearly one of their favorite tricks); and adds, "He means literally. But don't tell Heidi, she kinda frowns upon it."

Claire rolls her eyes, smirks, and suggests: "Well how about we all play Twister some time, then?"


End file.
